Interview Tips

As COVID-19 forces more people to work from home — including hiring managers — remote job interviews have become increasingly common. While most managers have previously participated in online meetings of some type, not all of them know how to conduct a video interview. Here’s some advice to help you prepare, and make the most of, a remote interview.

1. Don’t try to wing it

Online interviews require some preparation. As the interviewer, it’s up to you to set expectations with the candidate beforehand about the remote interview details. Figure out who will place the call, what online meeting platform you’ll use, and give the interviewee the names and titles of any other people who may be joining the interview. Clearly communicating the details of the meeting will put the candidate at ease and make the entire process run more smoothly.

2. Prepare your technology to avoid glitches

Conduct a technical trial run of your video conferencing platform — common ones include Skype for Business and Zoom — a day or so beforehand, giving yourself enough time to adapt if anything isn’t working. Check your computer camera, microphone and internet connection, and make sure you know your login information, especially if you haven’t used the videoconferencing application or tool in a while. If you’re using your laptop or tablet, check your Wi-Fi connection and ensure your equipment is charged and ready to go.

3. Have a backup plan

What if, despite all your preparations, the platform you planned to use doesn’t work? Make sure you have the candidate’s email and phone number handy so you can easily connect. You might end up having a phone conversation instead of a video interview in this case.

Another common issue, especially if you or the candidate are working from home, is bandwidth. If more than one person is online in an apartment or house at the same time, it can cause delays or other issues with video conferencing tools. While not ideal, one way you can try to address this issue if it happens is to turn off the video function on the application you’re using during the interview. You’ll still be able to talk to each other on whatever platform you’re using, just without the visuals. You also might try to schedule the interview at a time when fewer people in your home are online.

4. Minimize distractions

Switch off alerts and chats during the interview and put a note on your door saying you’re not available. Avoid having remote interviews in high-traffic areas of your home. In addition, try to reduce movement during an online interview. If you’re constantly shifting or walking around, it can make it hard for the other person to focus on the conversation.

5. Look professional

Dress as though you’re going to work, even if you’re at home, and make sure the background the candidate will see during the remote interview is free of anything distracting. Many videoconferencing applications allow you to set a blank background.

6. Come prepared

Have a printout of the interviewee’s resume and your list of questions. You might want to log in a few minutes early so you know all the technology is working and you’re not rushing when the interview begins.

7. Pay attention to facial expressions and tone of voice

Keep your voice calm and speak clearly, but also be sure you smile and laugh when appropriate, just like you would in person. You want to demonstrate to the other person that you’re engaged in the conversation.

Also leave a few seconds at the end of sentences or after you ask a question to minimize talking over each other. Remember to look at the camera when you’re speaking, not your own image or the other person’s image, as tempting as that may be.

8. Have a strong close

When remote interviews conclude, tell candidates what’s going to happen next in the process and ask them if they have any questions. Be sure to thank them for their time as well.

Ultimately, you are representing your company during an online interview. Knowing how to effectively conduct a video interview will help you leave candidates with a positive view of both you and your business.

Choosing a housekeeper can sometimes be stressful—how do you know if you can trust a stranger to take care of your house? There can be lots of missed red flags when you don’t know the right questions to ask. On top of that, body language can send very important signals for you to tell whether the potential housekeeper is the right one for your needs.

What questions should you ask?

Make sure that you tell them what you really need in a housekeeper. This is also to avoid getting into arguments with your housekeeper and hearing them say, “But it was not in the job description.” We recommend you think through what you need them to do in your house. You can be specific and say you need someone to clean the toilet, kitchen sink, garage, etc. In short—you have to inform the potential housekeeper so they know what they’re getting themselves into. And then you can ask if they can handle it in the number of hours that they will be working and in the budget range that you have in mind.

Ask them how they would do things. One sample question you can throw at them is to give them a specific situation that they would have to solve themselves. That way, you’ll have an idea of how quickly and imaginatively they think and how far they can improvise.

Try to find out if they’ve done similar jobs in the past. In a housekeeping job, experience may not be as big of a factor. However, you can throw questions related to housekeeping to know if they can actually do the job. Ask them if they have cleaned bigger houses before or what kind of tasks they have done in their previous housekeeping jobs. If the applicant has no experience, ask why you should hire them or what sets them apart from other applicants. You need to get a sense of motivation to make sure they won’t laze around in your house all day.

Their schedule has to fit your schedule. This is highly important when deciding on a housekeeper. Is he/she flexible enough, or do you have a fixed schedule that you want her to follow? And when you do need her in case of emergency, how long will it take her to get to your place? Hiring someone who is close by might be a better choice.

What other things should you consider before hiring a housekeeper?

Do some background checks and ask for references. It may sound very strict, but we all know it’s not easy to tell whether someone is lying or not. When you’ve confirmed with a previous employer that the potential housekeeper has done a good job before, then you’ll be more comfortable and relaxed working with them.

Check what cleaning supplies they use. If you have kids or important furniture in your house, make sure that your next housekeeper isn’t using harmful products. If you have your own supplies, ask them if they know how to use or apply them on certain kinds of material.

Whether you are a person seeking the services of a private chef, or you’re a chef yourself who’s in need of the assistance of your fellow culinary expert, it’s important that you hire the right person for the job. This way, you can have peace of mind knowing that everything will be smooth sailing. To determine if you’re hiring the right person, you should conduct a working interview. By doing this, you’ll know more about him or her, including their qualifications, skills, and if you like their meals!

Here are some interview tips to help you get started.

Start with the basics. The first thing you need to do is determine if they have sufficient cooking skills. Ask where they learned to cook. Review their work history to ensure that they are truly qualified for the position they want to fill. Ask if they have any original recipes since this may show their creative side. Great chefs are not afraid to experiment and create new dishes. Discuss their cooking philosophies and thought process in creating dishes so you’ll understand how they operate as a chef.

See if they have excellent management and organizational skills. No matter how big or small your kitchen is, you definitely want to make sure that it is being handled and managed properly. As such, when hiring a chef, discuss their experience with managing a kitchen such as creating menus, managing the budget and food costs, purchasing ingredients, and other related tasks. Also, ask how they will ensure that your kitchen will operate smoothly and problem-free.

Ask them for suggestions. If you’re an employer looking to hire a private chef, give them an idea of what your family’s dietary requirements are. Or if you’re a chef who’s seeking to hire another chef, ask them what they think of your menu. Either way, take them on a tour of your kitchen and ask them for suggestions on how they would improve or change things. This will give you an idea of if they are a go-getter and have initiative.

Learn more about them. Once you are familiar with their skills and capabilities, you may determine what makes them tick as a person. Discuss personal issues. Find out why they are leaving their current job (in case they are currently employed) to work for you. Ask them about their dreams and aspirations as a chef, as well as the challenges they have faced in the past. This will help you identify patterns that might suggest their unwillingness to do mundane tasks, or other red flags that might indicate that they are not suited for the job.

Ask for a cooking demo. Anyone can say that they can cook, but only a few people really know how. As such, end the interview by asking them to prepare a dish or two that would complement your tastes or meet your dietary requirements.

A working interview is always a good idea when hiring a Private Chef. You can see how they interact with you, your family and how they handle grocery shopping, kitchen organization, cooking and clean-up. Keep in mind a chef may be nervous on their first “cooking interview” so we suggest trying 2 or 3 days before making your final decision.

Because you can’t be with your kids all the time, life may be calling you to go to work or take care of other important matters, it’s essential that you have someone that you can entrust your children to. This is why many people seek a professional nanny. By hiring a nanny or a babysitter, you can have peace of mind, knowing that someone will be there to look after and care for your kids the same way you would look after them.

What to Ask a Nanny

Since not all nannies are the same, you should know how to ask a few key questions to make sure you are on the right track in finding someone who will fit your childcare needs. Here’s a few question to should ask when interviewing a potential nanny for your kids.

Do you know CPR? To ensure the safety of your children, see to it that the nanny can meet your first aid and safety requirements.

What is your experience with children? Finding the answer to this question will help verify if the candidate is indeed experienced and suited for the job.

Why did you choose this career? Depending on their answer, this will help you determine if they are a career nanny or working as a nanny temporarily.

What do you do when a child is misbehaving? Ask the candidate how they believe a child should be disciplined.

How do you plan to spend the day with my children? What if the weather is bad? Find out what activities they have in store for your kids, this will also help to see if they can be creative and resourceful.

What is your favorite age group and why? It’s always good to know if the nanny has a preference regarding the ages of children they work with.

How were you able to handle a conflict or disagreement in your previous position? This will help you identify how the nanny communicates with their employers and their ability to handle various situations.

Questions to Get to Know the Nanny Better

What was a typical day like in your last job? This helps you determine what the nanny can and is willing to do.

Why did you leave your last job? Asking this question will help you determine what to avoid if you want the nanny to stay and if they are seeking a position with longevity.

Are you ok to assist with additional household needs such as driving, grocery shopping and laundry? This gives you the opportunity to see if the nanny can be flexible and how they utilize their time while the children may be napping or at school.

We suggest after your initial screening interview setting up a trial day with the nanny so you can see how they work with you and how they interact with your children. Its important to get your children’s feedback too, if they like the nanny and want her to come back- thats a good sign!

How you perform during the interview can make or break your chances of getting the job that you want. This is why it’s important that you know everything there is to know about the position you’re applying for and the company you want to work for. After all, you certainly don’t want to be surprised and get caught off guard during the interview.

Here are some interview tips to help you get one step closer to obtaining an excellent job offer.

1. Do your research

Do a bit of research about the employer, the requirements of the job, and the background of the person interviewing you. The more you know, you more you’ll understand them and the better you’ll be able to answer the interview questions.

2. Review common interview questions

First, ask the contact person what kind of interview you can expect. Depending on their answer, prepare responses to commonly asked interview questions. This will help you provide detailed yet concise responses that focus on specific examples and your accomplishments during the interview. If you have a working interview make sure to ask questions before the interview so you are prepared and ready to work when you arrive.

3. Dress appropriately

Dress well for the interview, professional attire should be a dress or slacks and a blouse for ladies and a suit and tie for men. Make sure your clothing is always dry cleaned and freshly pressed. We suggest attire that is a bit on the conservative side as well. Always remember that it’s better to be overdressed than under-dressed. Also, minimize the use of accessories and jewelry.

4. Be punctual

Try to be there 15 minutes before your scheduled interview. This will give you extra time to complete additional paperwork and to calm your nerves.

5. Make good first impressions

Be polite to everyone you meet, not just to the home owner or hiring manager, but also to the receptionist if interviewing in an office setting or other household employees if interviewing in a home. Employers usually observe how job applicants treat other staff members.

6. Be confident and authentic

It can be easy to get nervous during the interview, but as much as you can, try to be confident and upbeat. Stay focused and make sure to deliver your responses clearly, concisely, and truthfully.

7. Watch out for your body language

The hiring manager is also taking note of your body language, not just your answers and how you answer the questions given to you. Therefore, ensure that you observe proper posture. Don’t slouch, fidget, and look distracted. Instead, smile, have good eye contact, and be attentive.

8. Ask questions

Even if the hiring manager has thoroughly explained everything to you, make sure that you still ask a couple of questions. Studies have shown that employers gauge an applicant’s interest in the job by whether they ask the interviewee follow up questions or not.

9. Highlight your strengths

There is an old adage in interviewing that says that the most qualified applicants don’t usually end up with the job offer. This means even if other applicants have better qualifications than you, you can still get that job as long as you perform well during the interview. So be sure highlight your strengths and keep it positive.

10. Thank the interviewer

Common courtesy and politeness can go a long way towards creating a good impression. So make sure to thank the interviewer or hiring manager in person and by a follow up hand written note.

We wish you the best of luck in your job search. Keep in mind the team at J Danielle & Co. is always here to answer your questions and give career advice.

You’re a talented chef. You have learned different styles of prep throughout the world. Today, you have an interview to fill a private chef position in a household you’re excited to work for. Is your experience enough? More likely than not, you may still face a few simple questions that will undo all your experience and education if not handled correctly.

Here are a few questions that will make all the difference getting where you want to be.

“You have an impressive resume, but will you walk me through it?”

The interviewer has just acknowledged reading your expertly-crafted resume and now they want you to talk about it. Maybe they didn’t actually read it? Maybe you were unclear in your descriptions?

Neither of those are likely to be true. More likely, the interviewer is reading you. What they’re paying attention to is how you are speaking, the comfort and confidence with which you portray yourself. No matter how much time you spent writing your resume, you should practice describing it aloud. Don’t let your thoughts scatter, correct yourself or pause. It speaks to uncertainty.

The position you are interviewing for requires a great deal of trust. If you are not speaking with total confidence, the employer will make a fast decision that there is a more qualified applicant.

“Tell me a little more about your experience.”

This seems like a slight variation of the first question. However, while the first question is designed to get you talking, this one is a bit more specific.

You can list places you have worked ad nauseam and miss the greatest opportunity. After all, a great many insufferable chefs have worked at a long list of places, in part because no one wants to work with them. While listing where you’ve worked and what you’ve learned, talk about how you’ve grown as a team member, as a leader, as a communicator. If you are being interviewed for a private chef position, you are being invited into someone’s home. Never undervalue “works well with others” and “improves morale” as selling points for any employee.

Remind yourself of your strengths and experiences before that interview, not during.

“Tell me your greatest weakness.”

Many people think this is a loaded question. However, it is a golden opportunity to show one of the greatest skills anyone can have… the ability to improve. No, you don’t want to say “I’m really bad at…” or “I’m weak when it comes to…” Nor do you want to say “I’m a perfectionist” or “I need people to perform to my standards.”

This is when you start talking in the past tense. “Well, when I first started out, I was bad at prepping…” or “I didn’t always handle pressure as well as I do now…” You speak briefly about mistakes you made in the past and how you worked to overcome them. No one expects someone to be perfect. No one believes anyone is perfect. But what every employer wants is an employee who is striving for perfection.

“How do you handle conflict in the work place?”

“I’ve never really had a conflict in the work place” will make you sound like a liar or someone who is oblivious. No one wants to hire someone who is either of these. At the same time, you don’t want to sit there and deprecate a former coworker or, worse yet, a former employer.

Take time to think about this question before walking into an interview because this is where careful wording is most important. Think of an instance and be prepared to tell both sides of the story and then explain how you talked through the problem, how you came to an understanding or how you learned to work around the problem.

Conflict will occur in life, so no one will fault you for that. What a prospective employer needs to hear is that you maturely and productively dealt with the problem. So leave out as much of the drama as possible and bite your tongue if you still have a few angry words left over.

“What makes you stand out from other candidates?”

You can talk a lot about your background here. However, keep in mind that every single applicant has extensive cooking experience, maybe some have more than you. One way or the other, your experience should already be evident on your resume. What they want to know is what makes you stand out as an individual.

How will you contribute to the household? Will you get along with the staff? Will the family enjoy your presence? So much can be said for personality and, sadly, a resume often does not highlight it. Take this time now to talk about your passions and what people like about you, what you like about yourself. Don’t let modesty stand in the way of being confident about what makes you special.

“Do you have any questions for me?”

Yes, you do. Sometimes it can be hard to think of what to ask. After all, interviewing for a private chef position is different than interviewing for a position in any other setting. The nature of the position is very intimate. While you may not immediately know how to speak to the expectations of the employer or their family, this is your opportunity to learn.

Use personal language. Ask what their favorite dining experience was, ask them about what dishes excite them the most. As a professional chef, you know where your own passion for food stems from. Find out about theirs. The goal is not waiting until they have finished and say, “I can do that.” It’s to make them feel heard, for them to know their passions are interesting to you.

In a follow-up, suggest a meal or dining experience you think they would like based on what they shared with you. It will show them that you are not just interested in being employed, you’re interested in making their dining experience better.

If you are looking to line up your next interview, take a gander at the career opportunities offered by J. Danielle & Co. For ten years, this has been the leading domestic staffing agency in Southern California. Click here to get started now.